Mia's story...

On the 18th of November 2024 I found out I was pregnant. I was over the moon to be pregnant with my last child, and it had been discussed at a length between my partner and myself that this would be our last child. I had suffered with my mental health because of a previous early loss and this pregnancy saved my life. I felt hope again, and I was ready to enjoy this experience.  

My pregnancy went as it did twice before, and I suffered from hyperemesis and was admitted to hospital, but I was still extremely excited. Only it wasn't the same as before. At our 12 week scan the sonographer told us that our baby had higher than normal spinal fluid indicative that he or she may have a chromosomal disorder. So we were referred to the foetal medicine unit. We waited for our scan with foetal medicine and went at 13 weeks, however, despite hoping for a positive outcome, the news was worse than originally thought. The foetal medicine doctor found abnormalities with the heart which broke us,  and they referred us to specialists at Great Ormond street, as the doctor didn't quite know what was wrong. We went to see the specialists the very next day as a matter of urgency, and our hearts were broken once more when the specialists informed us that our little baby had congenitally corrected transposition of the greater arteries, pulmonary stenosis and a VSD. They offered us the choice of termination, but were adamant that a surgery once our little one was born, would be enough for them to have a happy, healthy life. So we held out hope and waited for our next scan with foetal medicine at 16 weeks. At our next scan there were no changes and by this time she was kicking and seemed to be thriving, I would sing and read to her and she would react to touch already. So we waited 4 more weeks for another scan at 20 weeks, everything was the same so we carried on knowing we had another scan with the specialists at Great Ormond street at 23 weeks gestation. Things seemed to be going well despite the previous scare. I was very excited and had hope things would be ok. 23 weeks hit and the specialist appointment came. My world came crashing down. Our little ones heart had gotten worse causing the left side of her heart to become extremely enlarged. Yet, the specialists didn't give us all the information we needed, they just urged us to terminate. I refused at that point clinging on to any sort of hope my little baby would be ok. It was at that moment we wanted to know the gender as we didn't as of yet. At our next appointment with foetal medicine at 27 weeks they told us she was a little girl. After receiving this beautiful news, our hearts were broken when they sat us down again and explained to us that our baby girls heart was now giving up. She was tired and she would not make it through the pregnancy, she would likely have heart failure in the womb and if she did miraculously make it to term she would not be viable for surgery...she would be left to die... 

We went home confused and with broken hearts. For a week we contemplated about what to do. My partner was very supportive and told me that no matter what decision we made he would love her and me all the same. After a week I phoned them back and explained we had made the decision to terminate. It was the most heart-breaking and traumatic thing I have ever heard myself say out loud, and that memory will be etched in my brain forever. I didn't "want" to terminate. I wanted my baby. But carrying on and letting her suffer just wasn't on the cards for us. We wanted her to know nothing but love. I had an injection on the 23rd of May 2025 to stop her heart. On the 26th of May she was born. She was beautiful. She weighed 2lbs3oz. And I couldn't have loved anyone more if I tried.

She saved me... but unfortunately love wasn't enough to save her.

In memory of Mia.